Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill
by A New Username
Summary: A chance meeting between a Tokyo girl named Kimiko and a country girl named Shino turns into much more than that when Kimiko transfers to the only high school in the latter's town. They become fast friends, doing everything together. But then, something different begins to form in their hearts… (eventual FemKirito/Sinon yuri) [Story stops at ch9, companion story/sequel incoming]
1. Of Glasses and Airsoft Guns

Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill

Chapter One: Of Glasses and Airsoft Guns

* * *

**Author's Note**

**I came up with this idea about two day ago, and I figured, "Why the hell not?" The first chapter is a bit short, I know, but I thought I would just let you guys read what I have instead of taking forever to get out a monster chapter. That, and I came to a good stopping point.**

**Anyway, like I said in my notice for **_**Gun Gale Online: The Swordswoman**_**, this won't have any major conflicts. It's going to be an AU romance/slice of life story with the occasional kendo fight, but that's about it for the action.**

**Okay, now that that's over with, I guess I'll see you down below!**

* * *

"Hey, did you see it on TV? Kirito won the Kendo Nationals!"

"I know! The fact that he uses gyaku nito-ryu so well is amazing! Isn't he, like, our age?"

"Yeah, and rumor is, he's really hot under his gear."

After this last comment, the ebony-haired girl sitting in the corner of the room completely lost interest. She had been listening in on the conversation that the three girls in the center of the room had started as soon as lunch began, hoping that they would talk about something interesting. Just when she was about to give up and return to reading her novel, she heard them mention the name of the famous rising star kendoka with the alias of Kirito. Of course, as soon as they began talking about his appearance, which no one had ever seen, she completely lost all possible interest in their now-shallow conversation.

A few minutes later, the dark haired girl known as Shino Asada was having an increasingly difficult time concentrating on her novel, what with the ever-growing chitchat that the three girls were engaging in. just before she interrupted them, telling them to quiet down, the bell signifying the end of lunch rang throughout the school.

_You've got to be kidding me,_ Shino thought, closing her bespectacled gray eyes tight in frustration. _I didn't even get to finish a single page…_

* * *

The setting sun cast a golden glow on the small town, leaving the long, lustrous black-haired girl breathless. After just having moved in earlier that day, she had decided to take a walk around town. Everywhere she went, people would smile and ask her if she was new to the town, and she would always respond by saying that she just moved in earlier that day. Everyone she met welcomed her with open arms, making her almost feel like she had lived there all her life.

The keyword, however, was 'almost'.

_Still, it's really amazing here,_ she thought after resuming her walk, pulling the zipper of her black jacket up a bit more to combat the cold. _The atmosphere is completely different from Tokyo. Everyone's always so nice, even though I just moved here today… it's almost like they all already think of me as one of them._

After a few more minutes of bathing in the golden glow of the setting sun as she walked, the girl reached the edge of a forest. The trees around the three paths looked wonderful to sleep under, but she knew that dinner would be served soon at her family's new house, so she opted to walk around the path to the far right instead. Her mother would call her when dinner was ready anyway, so she decided that she may as well continue on a little longer.

After a while of walking on the path, she heard a sound that she couldn't quite place. It loud, similar to that of a gun. _But this is Japan,_ she reasoned to herself, continuing to walk as if as if she hadn't heard a thing. _So it probably isn't actually a gun._

A few seconds of walking later, she heard the sound again. This time, it sounded closer, and she noticed a distinct _ping_ sound that resounded right after the gunfire-like sound. Looking to her left, she squinted her eyes to see through the many trees just off the path.

Upon seeing what looked like the form of a person, she found herself going against her better judgment and siding with her curiosity, walking off the path and into the forest. She made sure to be as quiet as possible as she closed in on the other person, though she wasn't sure of the reason for her caution.

When she was close enough to make out the details of the person she was effectively spying on, she shivered. Standing directly in front of the dark-haired girl with her back to her was a girl with shorter black hair, wearing what looked to be a school uniform that consisted of a blue blazer with white trim, a blue, pleated mini-skirt with a white stripe close to the bottom, and navy blue, thigh-high socks. She held what looked to be a shotgun; however, upon closer inspection, the longer-haired girl sighed in relief. It was only an airsoft rifle.

Only too late, she realized her mistake. The shorter-haired girl immediately turned to face her, an angry look in her bespectacled eyes. Still having her airsoft rifle pointed outwards, originally aimed for the soda can on a stump not too far behind her, the girl now looked like she was aiming for the longer-haired girl's chest.

Thinking she was about to be on the receiving end of a shot from an airsoft rifle, the jacket-clad girl quickly put up her hands and began talking in a wavering voice. "S-sorry… for sneaking up on you like that. I heard you firing that airsoft rifle, but I didn't know what it was… so I tried to get a closer look, and, well… you know the rest."

After a few seconds of silence, with the only thing audible being the crickets beginning to chirp in the distance, the uniformed girl smiled, lowering the barrel of her airsoft gun. "Don't worry about it."

Letting out another sigh of relief, the longer-haired girl looked the girl across from her in the eyes. "All right."

"So, you're new here?" the bespectacled girl queried, raising a hand from her lowered rifle to push up the bridge of said glasses with her pointer finger. "I don't think I've seen you around before."

"Y-yeah," the jacket-clad girl stuttered out, grabbing a lock of her long, ebony hair with her left hand and twirling it around her fingers. "I just moved I earlier today. I'm supposed to start school tomorrow, but I'm a little nervous…"

"Don't be," the other girl reassured her, letting her hand fall to her side. "The people here are all really nice, trust me. Besides, with your looks, I'm sure you'll be popular in no time."

"T-thanks…" _why can't I stop stuttering?!_ "But I don't think I'd get popular based on looks alone."

"Fair enough. By the way, my name is Asada Shino," the bespectacled girl known, now known to her as Shino, said, extending her hand out. "Nice to meet you."

Taken aback a bit by the sudden kind gesture from the girl who had, not two minutes earlier, pointed an airsoft rifle at her, it took the jacket-clad girl a moment to react. She gingerly took Shino's hand, giving it a timid shake. "Likewise," she said, preparing to introduce herself. "I'm Kiri—"

Just before she finished saying her last name, the shrill sound of a cell phone ringing and the vibrating coming from the pocket of her dark jeans made her jump. She quickly retracted her hand, reaching into her pocket and grabbing her smartphone. Looking at the caller ID, she flashed an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, that's Mom!" she said, turning to walk away. She turned her head so that she could see Shino out of the corner of her eye, waving with the hand not holding her still-ringing phone. "She probably wants me to go home for dinner, so I gotta go. Catch you later!"

With that, the energetic girl who didn't get to finish her introduction ran through the trees and back to the path, opening her phone once she was out of the bespectacled girl's hearing range.

_Interesting girl,_ Shino mused as she watched her run off. After jacket-clad girl left her line of sight, she went over to the stump with the empty soda can, reaching over it and grabbing the backpack on the other side. Slowly, piece by piece, she took apart her airsoft rifle, putting the parts carefully in her bag. _She looked like a high-schooler, so I'll probably see her tomorrow… then again, even if there's only one high school in this town, it's pretty big. We probably won't be in the same class… why do I feel disappointed about that? It's not like I need friends, anyway._

"Well, I should head home, too," she said to distract herself from her depressing thoughts, pushing her glasses up by the bridge with her hand once more. She zipped up her backpack, slinging it over her left shoulder and picking up the can.

"I wonder…" Shino whispered, looking to the where the sun had just set, leaving a faint red glow in that area of the sky. "Will I see her again?"

* * *

"Did you hear? They say that Kirito quit kendo!"

These words were the first thing that Shino heard when she entered her classroom. They caught her by surprise; just yesterday, she heard that this Kirito won the nationals! Why would he quit the sport right before fighting in the next step, the Asia branch of the world tournament?

"Yeah! They say that his parents were moving to a small town, and he went with them. I still don't understand why he would quit kendo just because of that. I mean, he's the best in all of Japan now, right?"

"I know, it doesn't make sense to me, either. Maybe his parents wanted him to stop."

"Well, that's not fair!"

At this point, Shino's interest had taken a steep drop. She decided to try to tune the three gossiping girls out once again, walking over to her window seat and pulled her novel from her backpack. She opened it up, taking out the bookmark and beginning to read.

Not thirty seconds later, the homeroom teacher entered the room, interrupting her from her reading. "Good morning, class!" the teacher, Nishida Fujiwara, greeted the class.

Everyone scrambled to their seats upon hearing his greeting, with Shino putting her novel back in her backpack. When everyone had taken their seats, he started talking again in a voice that said he had drank one too many coffees that morning. "All right, class! Stand and bow!"

The class stood up from their seats, bowing before all saying the morning greeting. "Good morning!"

After everyone sat back down, the Nishida began speaking again. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make. There will be another first year joining us today. She comes from Tokyo…"

At the mention of the new student coming from Tokyo, the faces of the boys in the classroom brightened considerably. A Tokyo girl coming to their school? It was a rare occurrence for city people to move to their town, so this came as a rather big shock to them. Shino heard a few of them whispering amongst one another, speculating about her possible appearance. They came to the general consensus that she must have been 'hot', making a certain bespectacled girl's eyes narrow in disgust.

_Perverts_, Shino thought, looking out the window with a huff. _They haven't even seen her and they're already thinking about these kinds of things?_

Suddenly, the room grew completely silent, making the ebony-haired girl turn to the front of the classroom, where the eyes of all the other students seemed to be glued. What she saw shocked her to her very core.

_It… it's that same girl from yesterday!_

True to Shino's thoughts, the same girl from yesterday stood before the class, wearing the female school uniform of their school. It fit her well, though she didn't seem to think so, looking very nervous about her appearance. Upon looking back at the class for a moment, the bespectacled girl noticed several boys smiling widely, and even more looking completely spellbound.

_What is it that she's doing? Does she have a harem aura or something?_ Shino thought as she looked around at the male population of the classroom with narrowed eyes.

At last, the girl up front began speaking in a nervous tone, having noticed the entire class staring at her. "Hello, everyone! My name is—" while she spoke, her eyes somehow found her way to Shino. After a moment's pause, she smiled brightly, beginning to speak once again in a much more confident tone.

"My name is Kirigaya Kimiko! Please treat me well from now on!"

* * *

**Author's Note**

**So, what do you think? I hope this lives up to your expectations. A review would help greatly, so if you would be so inclined, I would love to hear some feedback!**

**Also, the first person who can guess correctly what I titled this story off of just might get a one-shot of their favorite SAO pairing!**

**I can't think of anything else that you need to know at the moment, so I'll get straight to the disclaimer.**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series, any of its adaptations other than a copy of both the Taiwanese/English subbed Hollow Fragment and Infinity Moment, or anything/one I use from them!**

**See ya later!**


	2. Of Rooftops and Boxed Lunches

Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill

Chapter Two: Of Rooftops and Boxed Lunches

* * *

**Author's Note**

**It ended a little earlier than I expected, but here's chapter two! I just found a good spot to cut it off, and it ended up being around eighteen-hundred words without the author's notes. Sorry, but I think I might keep the chapters to this fic a bit shorter than the average in **_**Gun Gale Online: The Swordswoman**_**.**

**Anyway, I totally forgot to respond to sgtranglin, the first person to guess what the title was based off of. So yeah, you got it! If there's a pairing you'd like me to do a one-shot for, tell me and I'll get right on that!**

**Okay, that's enough for this note. I'll see you at the bottom! Have a good read! **

* * *

_Suddenly, the room grew completely silent, making the ebony-haired girl turn to the front of the classroom, where the eyes of all the other students seemed to be glued. What she saw shocked her to her very core._

It… it's that same girl from yesterday!

_True to Shino's thoughts, the same girl from yesterday stood before the class, wearing the female school uniform of their school. It fit her well, though she didn't seem to think so, looking very nervous about her appearance. Upon looking back at the class for a moment, the bespectacled girl noticed several boys smiling widely, and even more looking completely spellbound._

What is it that she's doing? Does she have a harem aura or something?_ Shino thought as she looked around at the male population of the classroom with narrowed eyes._

_At last, the girl up front began speaking in a nervous tone, having noticed the entire class staring at her. "Hello, everyone! My name is—" while she spoke, her eyes somehow found her way to Shino. After a moment's pause, she smiled brightly, beginning to speak once again in a much more confident tone._

_"My name is Kirigaya Kimiko! Please treat me well from now on!"_

* * *

By the time lunch rolled around, Shino wanted nothing more than to read her novel. She wasn't even hungry; her appetite left her the moment Kimiko had been assigned to the empty seat beside her, leaving the poor bespectacled girl dry-throated and incredibly nervous.

To make matters worse, it seemed that every couple of minutes, she could feel eyes on her. Every time she looked over to the source, she found Kimiko diligently paying attention to the teacher, acting like she _wasn't_ the obvious source of the staring.

Shino didn't know _why_ she felt so nervous around the raven-haired girl next to her, but she did. It seemed like that feeling was far from mutual, judging by the curious glances she could feel coming from Kimiko's direction.

When the teacher left the room to go eat his own lunch, almost the entire class immediately got up from their seats to swarm the rather shy raven-haired girl. Shino just stood up, walking to the other side of the room so as not to get caught up in the chaos.

A few minutes of reading later, and the commotion still hadn't died down one bit. When Shino looked up, she found Kimiko looking directly at her from the middle of the crowd with a, 'Save me!' expression on her face.

The bespectacled girl weighed her options. On the one hand, if she saved this girl she had just met yesterday and took her somewhere else, the Tokyo girl might never have a chance at getting accepted due to hanging out with an outcast like her. She wouldn't be able to make any friends other than Shino, and thus, would make the country girl feel bad.

On the other hand, if she were to turn the other way, Kimiko would probably grow to dislike her, just like pretty much everyone else in her class. She would get popular as a tradeoff, and probably make several friends.

Those would be the consequences of either choice she made, but… _what do _I _want?_ The bespectacled girl thought, not expecting to be able an answer herself. However, mere seconds after she asked herself that question, the answer came to her.

_I want… a friend._

After she realized this, she saw only one logical choice of action. She got up, setting her novel down on her desk and grabbing her lunch from her backpack. As she walked over, she noticed the slightest hint of gratitude in Kimiko's eyes, as if the girl was trying her best to hide it in front of everyone else.

When Shino reached the group, one of the students surrounding the raven-haired city girl noticed her and said, "What do you want, Asada-san?"

Completely ignoring him and the other students who had stopped talking and turned to look at her, the shorthaired girl said, "Come on, Kirigaya-san. We're going."

Without even a moment's hesitation, Kimiko got up from her seat, giving everyone an apologetic smile. "Sorry, guys, but I've got to go. See you when lunch is over."

With that, she got up and followed Shino out of the classroom.

* * *

The silence that filled the rooftop of the school was deafening to Kimiko.

After Shino had saved her and brought her out of the classroom, they went straight to the rooftop, where the bespectacled girl silently began to eat from her bento. This, of course, only served to remind the raven-haired city girl of how she forgot to buy her own lunch. Even worse, it also reminded her of how hungry she was.

Add a semi-awkward silence to that, and it made for a very uncomfortable lunch period.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Shino spoke. "You've been looking at my lunch for the past ten minutes. Do you want some?"

As usual, Kimiko was caught off guard by the kind gesture. After a moment's pause, however, she found herself nodding her head vigorously as her stomach grumbled in agreement. After a sheepish laugh, the raven-haired girl graciously accepted the spare pair of chopsticks offered to her.

"Go ahead," Shino said, an amused smile tugging at her lips. "Eat whatever you like."

After a single bite of food, Kimiko was in heaven. She had almost never tasted anything so amazing in her life! None of her family members could cook very well, so she always found herself getting meals from the convenience store.

"This is amazing!" Kimiko voiced her thoughts, reaching into the bento box to grab another bite. "Where did you get this?"

"Actually, I made it all myself," the bespectacled girl said, smiling widely at the compliment. "I live alone, so I have to cook for myself."

"Really?" the raven-haired Tokyo girl queried rather loudly, her stormy-gray eyes sparkling. "That's amazing! You're easily the second best cook I've ever known! You'll make a great wife one day."

Somehow, though she knew she should be happy about the last remark, it only brought a tinge of sadness to Shino. Still, she needed to be polite and thank her. "Thank you— wait, you said 'second best.' Who's the first?"

"My grandma," Kimiko replied, taking on a nostalgic expression as she cast her gaze to the cloudless blue sky above them. "She's gone now, but she was one of the nicest people I know. She's also the best cook I've ever known, probably because she owned a sweets shop."

Shino felt the urge to apologize for asking, but she restrained herself. Somehow, even though Kimiko was speaking of a deceased family member, she seemed happy. The glasses-clad girl probably wouldn't have said anything if placed in such a situation, but the girl before her talked about it with no restraints.

"You're amazing, Kirigaya-san," she said without thinking. "You can talk about a dead family member so easily, almost like she's still alive."

"Not really. I just feel like I need to be strong, so I try to cover the hurt up," was the reply that Shino received from the normally chipper girl. "And besides, I fulfilled her dying wish recently, so I've finally started let go and move on."

Shocked that Kimiko was revealing so much to someone she just met, the bespectacled girl felt the need to comfort her. Without thinking, she put an arm around the raven-haired girl's shoulder, eliciting a startled squeak.

"You don't have to be strong around me, okay?" Shino said gently, squeezing the city girl's shoulder. "I won't tell anyone if you break down, and I won't think any less of you for crying when you need to."

"You know we just met yesterday, right? You could at least take me to dinner first," Kimiko joked smugly, earning a fierce blush from the girl currently holding her. "Just kidding!"

The rest of lunch period was filled with pleasant conversation, playful banter, and, of course, eating.

* * *

When school ended for the day, Shino ended up having to rescue a helpless Kimiko once more. They had made it to the front gates of the school without any further incident, before turning to each other.

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow," Kimiko said, a sad look on her face. "So, out of curiosity, around where do you live?"

Her first friend in the town smiled, pointing to their left. "I live in one of the houses over in that direction, by the forest you met me at."

"Really?" the raven-haired girl shouted, almost jumping up and down in excitement. "Me too!"

"Then let's walk until we have to part," Shino said, pushing her glasses up with her index finger again.

A couple of minutes later, they arrived at a particular street, where both of them stopped and turned to one another.

"This is my street," they both said simultaneously. Both of their eyes widened in shock as they gaped at each other, speechless.

Without another word, they began walking again, smiles on both of their faces. Soon enough, Shino stopped in front of her house.

It was a typical western-styled white-painted home from the outside, with a black door in the middle of the front, and two bay windows on either side. On a guess, Kimiko decided that it must have been around eight-hundred and fifty square feet.

"Well, this is my house," Shino said, fishing out a key from her pocket. "I'd ask if you wanted to come in for a little while, but I guess you probably have to eat dinner with your family."

"Yeah, sorry," the raven-haired city girl said, her stormy-gray eyes unreadable. "But maybe you could come over to my house for dinner sometime. What about tomorrow night?"

"_You could at least take me to diner first."_

These words rang loud and clear through Shino's mind, making her cheeks flush red for a moment. She soon regained her composure, knowing she had to respond. "S-sure."

"Cool!" Kimiko exclaimed, giving the bespectacled girl a blindingly bright smile. "So, I'll see you tomorrow morning!"

"Um, you know that we don't have school tomorrow, right?" Shino replied, looking slightly confused. "Today is Friday, so the weekend starts tomorrow."

With a nervous laugh, Kimiko stuttered out a reply, twirling a lock of her raven hair in her fingers. "Oh, I see… I totally forgot!"

The glasses-clad girl giggled lightly, then turned towards her house. "Anyway, come get me for dinner tomorrow. I'll probably be at home around that time, so just come here."

"Will do!"

With that, they parted ways for the night.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Yeah, this is where I figured would be a good cutoff. Which reminds me somehow, what do you think of my skills in writing in the third person? Do you think I should keep doing that, or should I switch perspectives between Shino and Kimiko in first person? I'd love to hear some feedback about that.**

**Also, I guess it isn't all going to be fluff, rainbows and butterflies. I should have made it a bit more clear in the notes of the first chapter, but there will be ups and downs in this story. Nothing too dramatic, but I think every story has to have **_**some**_** plot twists, both bad and good, to be a well-written story.**

**Well, I guess that's all I need to say. I'll just let you off with a disclaimer.**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series, any of its adaptations, or anything I use from them!**

**See ya!**


	3. Of Shinai and Collapsing Lawn Chairs

Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill

Chapter Three: Of Shinai and Collapsing Lawn Chairs

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Here we are with chapter three! Yet again, we have a short chapter… I try to make them long, but then I just find the (in my mind) perfect spot to cut it off around two-thousand words in. it's kind of frustrating, and yet kind of a relief, since I'm able to get chapters out faster.**

**By the way, in case you all are wondering about the future of **_**Gun Gale Online: The Swordswoman**_**, I should tell you that I might be getting a chapter out soon. You see, me and that reviewer I mentioned in the important announcement (that will be taken down when the next chapter is published) got things hashed out for the most part, so now I don't have as much of a block when I look at what I have of chapter seven. So yeah, hopefully, I'll be able to get something out at some point in this month!**

**Anyway, that's all I need to say up here! See you below!**

* * *

_"Well, this is my house," Shino said, fishing out a key from her pocket. "I'd ask if you wanted to come in for a little while, but I guess you probably have to eat dinner with your family."_

_"Yeah, sorry," the raven-haired city girl said, her stormy-gray eyes unreadable. "But maybe you could come over to my house for dinner sometime. What about tomorrow night?"_

_"__You could at least take me to diner first."_

_These words rang loud and clear through Shino's mind, making her cheeks flush red for a moment. She soon regained her composure, knowing she had to respond. "S-sure."_

_"Cool!" Kimiko exclaimed, giving the bespectacled girl a blindingly bright smile. "So, I'll see you tomorrow morning!"_

_"Um, you know that we don't have school tomorrow, right?" Shino replied, looking slightly confused. "Today is Friday, so the weekend starts tomorrow."_

_With a nervous laugh, Kimiko stuttered out a reply, twirling a lock of her raven hair in her fingers. "Oh, I see… I totally forgot!"_

_The glasses-clad girl giggled lightly, then turned towards her house. "Anyway, come get me for dinner tomorrow. I'll probably be at home around that time, so just come here."_

_"Will do!"_

_With that, they parted ways for the night._

* * *

It was with great annoyance that Shino found herself awake at five-thirty in the morning on a Saturday.

To make matters even more annoying, it wasn't her body that naturally aroused her from her nice, blissful slumber filled with dreams of Kimi— _Huh? Why was I dreaming about— never mind._

There were more pressing matters than contemplating the meaning of her dreams. One such matter was the very thing that woke her up: several loud clacking sounds constantly coming in quick succession from outside of her house. Upon listening to the sounds for a moment, she realized that they were coming from the house next door, the one that a new family had supposedly just moved into.

"New or not, they shouldn't be messing around at five-thirty," the shorthaired girl grumbled, sitting up in bed. Grabbing her glasses from her bedside, she put them on and got out of bed, stretching out with a yawn.

Deciding against taking the time to get fully dressed this early in the morning, the now-bespectacled girl walked to the door of her room, opening it and stepping into the hallway. She continued on, not stopping until she reached the front door, where she reached down and grabbed her shoes.

She slipped them on one at a time, then walked hastily through the hallway once more, this time going past her room and to the back door. Taking care not to make too much noise, she unlocked and opened it, stepping into the cool morning air.

Here, the clacking was much louder, sounding much clearer. Her suspicions had been confirmed; the noise was coming from just past the tall, wooden fence that separated her house from the recently occupied house next door.

_Annoying…_

Shino was ready to give them a piece of her mind. She quickly got one of the black lawn chairs on her backyard patio, unfolding it and carrying it towards the fence. When she reached the only thing separating her from her noisy, annoying new neighbors, she set the chair down, climbing up on it and peering over at their backyard.

What she saw shocked her to the core.

* * *

_Several Minutes Earlier_

"Ready, Sugu?" a certain raven-haired girl queried, eyeing the shorter girl five meters away from her through the metal bars of her _Men_. Dressed in full black _Bogu_, consisting of a helmet, the _Men_, a bulging piece that covered her chest and abdomen, the _Do_, and two padded wrist pieces, the _Kote_, all on top of a navy-blue robe-like uniform, she could easily pass off for a slim, well-toned teenage boy.

_But that's the idea._

In her right hand was a short, dagger-length weapon made up of four pieces of bamboo tied together by leather straps which were held together by nylon string and a leather cap on top. The handle was also covered in leather, giving her an easier grip. This sixty-four centimeter weapon was the short sword used in nito-ryu, the shoto.

In her left was a much longer version of the _shoto_, virtually the same other than the length and the higher spot where the bamboo pieces were tied together. This one-hundred-fourteen centimeter bamboo blade was the long sword used in nito-ryu, the daito.

"I'm ready, big sis!" said the shorter girl in front of her, Suguha, dressed in the same apparel but with a white cloth uniform underneath her _Bogu_ set. She held her regular shinai, one slightly longer than her opponent's daito, with confident hands. Inside, however, she was quaking in her boots.

"We first person to two points wins," the nito-user calmly said, putting the shoto out in front of her and pointing it at her sister's neck. At the same time, she brought her daito up above her head, tilting it so that the tip of the blade was pointing diagonally behind her, slightly up towards the air instead of level with the ground. "Call it."

"Ready…" Suguha said, putting her shinai out in front of her and pointing it at her older sister's neck, similar to the way the nito-user pointed her shoto at her own.

"Go!"

* * *

_Current Time_

As Shino began watching the backyard bout between the two kendoka, all thoughts of reprimanding them completely went out the window, only to be replaced with a single thought.

_That's… Kirito! And the one he's fighting has to be Kirigaya Suguha, the national quarterfinalist!_

The glasses-clad noirette had a million questions spinning around in her head. Why was Kirito, the national kendo champion, there? Why was he battling with the quarterfinalist, Kirigaya Suguha? Why were they fighting in someone else's back—

_Wait a second!_ Shino thought, throat dry as she belatedly realized an obvious fact. _Isn't Kimiko's last name Kirigaya? Then… are they related?!_

The mere thought of the girl she just met being related to one of her kendo idols made Shino weak in the knees. So weak, in fact, that she fell back onto her lawn chair with a startled squeal, followed by a loud _thud_ as the lawn chair collapsed from the sudden impact.

The clacking ceased immediately after she hit the ground, causing the bespectacled noirette to freeze up as she heard the sound of footsteps padding through the grass to reach the fence. What could she do? Even if she were able to get up and run away, they would undoubtedly see her before she got to her door.

Hearing the sound of someone climbing the fence, she slowly looked up, only to be met with the sight of the masked kendoka, Kirito, climbing over the wooden barrier and jumping down next to her. Suguha soon followed, landing on her other side and immediately asking Shino a question in an angry tone.

"How much did you see?"

Looking from one kendoka to the other, the bespectacled girl couldn't find the nerve to reply. They may not have had their shinai on hand, but they could still probably beat her up for spying on them.

"Well?" Suguha queried, reaching for the collar of Shino's nightshirt. Before she could grab it, however, her hand was slapped away by none other than Kirito. "You're scaring her, Sugu."

_That voice…_ despite the scary situation she found herself in, the noirette found herself pondering the familiarity of the voice calmly. _Where have I heard it before? And besides, isn't that a girl's voice?_

"But what if she saw us fighting?" Suguha asked her ex-combatant, a sense of worry in her voice. "Then your secret would be out, and…"

"Maybe I should point this out, but now that you've said all that, there's no point in even trying to keep it a secret."

The moment these words left Kirito's _Men_, he began to untie the strings keeping the headpiece on. When he finally took it off…

"Ki-Ki-Kimiko?!"

Indeed, the person under the mask, the one that, by the style of fighting, looked uncannily like Kirito, was the very friend she had met only two days prior. _But how? How could she fight exactly like Kirito, the national kendo champion?_

"Well, I guess the secret's out," the raven-haired kendoka laughed nervously. "Yeah, it's me. Kirito, the boy everyone knows as the kendo national champ, is actually a girl. Kinda disappointing, right?"

Though she said it in a joking tone, the look in Kimiko's stormy gray eyes said it all— her fear had nearly consumed her. She must have been incredibly afraid of Shino telling everyone.

"This is… wow…" the bespectacled girl whispered, eyes wide in shock. After several seconds of silence, she realized that they were waiting for her to address the issue at hand. "This is… so much to take in…"

"I figured as much," Kimiko whispered, her expression unreadable. "I won't ask you to keep being my friend after this, or even to forgive me at all for keeping this from you. Just… please, don't tell anyone."

When Shino looked up into the raven-haired girl's eyes, she saw an internal war going on inside those stormy-gray irises. It looked like she was beating herself up on the inside, yet at the same time, she desperately wanted to still be close to the bespectacled girl.

This look left Shino breathless, unable to think clearly. The only thing that she felt was the urge to stop Kimiko's grief. And yet, despite that…

The bespectacled noirette struggled to find her words. She knew she had to respond, but she wanted the sad girl to actually listen to her. "Kimiko, look at me," she said, her voice coming out a little more stern than she had wanted. When her friend (_can I still call her that?_) didn't respond, Shino put her right hand under her chin and tilted it up so that they made eye contact.

"Kimiko… I'm confused," the glasses-clad girl whispered so that only the raven-haired city girl next to her could hear. "I don't know what to think right now. But that doesn't mean I hate you. We just met a couple of days ago, so I don't blame you for not trusting me enough to tell me."

The tears building up in Kimiko's eyes made Shino feel horrible. She felt absolutely terrible knowing that she was the cause, and so she resolved to make it better. "But still, even though we only just met two days ago, I want you to be able to trust me. And also, I want to get to know you more. So… I still want to be your friend."

* * *

**Yeah, I bet I'm gonna get some annoyed reviewers for ending it here, but it seemed like a good place to cut it off****. That, and I wanted to get this out quickly, so that my current readers don't lose interest.**

**I honestly don't have much to say here. If I think of something important, I'll put it in the first note of the next chapter, I guess. So, at this point, all I can say is the disclaimer.**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series, any of its adaptations, or anything I use from them.**

**See you next chapter!**


	4. Of Nicknames and Nosebleeds

Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill

Chapter Four: Of Nicknames and Nosebleeds

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Without the author's notes, this chapter barely broke fifteen-hundred words. An all-time low for my recent stories. Well, whatever. I'd say the content of this chapter will make up for the length.**

**If you couldn't tell by the chapter title, this chapter is going to be the first obligatory ecchi chapter! I tried my hardest not to get too descriptive, lest this fic's rating need to be changed to "M". That takes away a significant portion of the possible audience this story can get, so I won't be doing anything to up the rating any time soon.**

**I bet you're all waiting on baited breath for the release of chapter seven of **_**Gun Gale Online: The Swordswoman**_**. Let me say that the chapter is making very good headway. The beginning will have a bit of fluff, though not with the characters you might expect.**

**Okay, that's it for now! See you at the bottom!**

* * *

_"I figured as much," Kimiko whispered, her expression unreadable. "I won't ask you to keep being my friend after this, or even to forgive me at all for keeping this from you. Just… please, don't tell anyone."_

_When Shino looked up into the raven-haired girl's eyes, she saw an internal war going on inside those stormy-gray irises. It looked like she was beating herself up on the inside, yet at the same time, she desperately wanted to still be close to the bespectacled girl._

_This look left Shino breathless, unable to think clearly. The only thing that she felt was the urge to stop Kimiko's grief. And yet, despite that…_

_The bespectacled noirette struggled to find her words. She knew she had to respond, but she wanted the sad girl to actually listen to her. "Kimiko, look at me," she said, her voice coming out a little more stern than she had wanted. When her friend (_can I still call her that?_) didn't respond, Shino put her right hand under her chin and tilted it up so that they made eye contact._

_"Kimiko… I'm confused," the glasses-clad girl whispered so that only the raven-haired city girl next to her could hear. "I don't know what to think right now. But that doesn't mean I hate you. We just met a couple of days ago, so I don't blame you for not trusting me enough to tell me."_

_The tears building up in Kimiko's eyes made Shino feel horrible. She felt absolutely terrible knowing that she was the cause, and so she resolved to make it better. "But still, even though we only just met two days ago, I want you to be able to trust me. And also, I want to get to know you more. So… I still want to be your friend."_

* * *

"_Back in black! I hit the sack! I been too long, I'm glad to be back…"_

These words in English emanated from the black high-end headphones hanging around a certain raven-haired city girl's neck as she walked out of her front door. She found herself humming along to the lyrics of the American song, grabbing the headphones and putting them over her ears. The sound of the classic metal song surrounded her, eliminating all other noises as she walked with purpose towards the house next door.

Kimiko had no idea what the lead singer, Brian Johnson, was saying; she never had any talent for English. However, she had a knack for memorizing foreign lyrics phonetically, then singing them with perfect accuracy. This wasn't the time for singing, as she tended to get way too absorbed in doing so, so she decided to settle for humming along as she walked instead.

When she made it to the door of her new next-door neighbor, the raven-haired girl brought her headphones back to their original spot around her neck, letting the music leak out for the rest of the world to hear once more.

Knocking on the door three times, the girl received no answer in reply. After waiting about ten seconds, she knocked again, only to be met with more silence. Eventually, she grew tired of waiting, and so she tried opening the door. To her surprise, it was unlocked.

_I feel bad for doing this but…_ the city girl thought as she shut the door behind her, beginning to walk through the house.

"Asada-san!" she called as she walked. "Are you here?"

Hearing a shuffling sound coming from a door in the hallway to her right, sounding similar to the sound of blankets moving, Kimiko turned to walk towards the origin. She came to a door soon enough, knocking on it gently.

She heard mumbling coming from inside, before finally hearing a halfway intelligible, "… Come in…"

Hearing a bit more shuffling, the raven-haired girl hesitated for a moment before opening the door. What she saw…

Almost gave her a nosebleed.

Standing there in nothing but a black-laced bra and panties, with a shirt in her hands, Shino left little to the imagination. She wore no glasses, making her eyes seem out of focus. Despite this, the look of shock, coupled with the raging wildfire that adorned her cheeks, made Kimiko…

Almost? No, it really_ did_ give her a nosebleed. And, promptly after that…

She fainted.

* * *

Kimiko woke up to the stinging feeling of a hand hitting her cheek. When she opened her eyes, she found an angry Shino straddling her, glaring at the raven-haired girl with the force of a thousand suns.

"I told you _not_ to come in, perv!" the still-glasses-less girl shouted, making the city girl flinch back— well, as far back as you can flinch while being held to the ground.

"All I heard was mumbling and then, 'come in'…" Kimiko defended weakly, raising her arm to try to quell her nosebleed.

"Yeah, likely story!" was the sarcastic yell she got in response. "Just get out!"

"You know, I really would, but…" the raven-haired girl trailed off, looking away and smiling awkwardly. "You're kind of sitting on top of me…"

It was then that Shino realized that she was sitting on her friend's abdomen, still in just her bra and panties. In a flash, she stood up, backing into the wall opposite Kimiko and pointing to the door. "Out!"

Fearing for her life, the city girl ran out of the room, shutting the door behind her with a loud _bang_. She leaned on the wall next to the door, sliding down until she was in a sitting position. When she realized that she could hear the sound of Shino changing, the poor city girl's face lit up like a wildfire as she tried, and failed, not to imagine the happenings behind the door.

It was then that she became aware of the headphones still hanging around her neck, still leaking music that could be a godsend distraction. Kimiko quickly grabbed the device, putting it over her ears and finally blocking out the maddening sound of her attractive friend changing—

_Wait, at… attractive?_

Now that the raven-haired girl could think rationally, she could in no way deny the charm and beauty that her new friend held, especially without her glasses… and clothes…

And there it went again. Another nosebleed erupted, this one stronger than before. Kimiko swore under her breath, pinching her nose with her right hand before inspecting her clothes for blood stains. Fortunately, none got onto her black jacket, gray shirt or anywhere else on her. Unfortunately, however…

There were several drops of blood on the floor.

_How am I gonna clean this up?!_ She thought, a look of pure terror flying onto her features. _Man, I'm so screwed! She's totally going to think that I'm a pervert now!_

Just as she finished that thought, the door next to her opened, revealing a fully clothed Shino, clad in a dark gray t-shirt, black pants, and, of course, her glasses. Kimiko gaped; somehow, even in such casual wear, her friend still managed to look good.

The bespectacled girl mistook the astonished gape for one of fear, smiling gently so as to put her friend at ease. "Don't worry, Kirigaya-san. I'm not mad."

Realizing that she needed to respond, the raven-haired girl accepted the hand offered to her and got up before sputtering out, "K-Kimiko."

"Huh?" Shino queried, giving a quizzical stare.

"You called me 'Kimiko' earlier today…" the city girl said, averting her eyes as she played with a long lock of her hair. "Keep calling me that. It feels weird to be called by my last name."

"All right…" Shino trailed off, an awkward look on her face. "T-then you call me by my first name, too."

"O-okay… Shin… Shin…" try as she might, the poor girl just couldn't do it. She couldn't call her bespectacled friend by her first name. Suddenly, her face brightened as an idea popped into her head. "I've got it! What about, 'Shinocchi'?"

An amused smile tugged at the bespectacled noirette's lips as she mulled it over in her head for a bit. "Sure, sounds good."

It was then that Shino remembered something important. "By the way, why exactly did you come here again?"

Kimiko's eyes widened in remembrance of the reason why she had come over in the first place. "Oh, man!" she shouted, grabbing her friend's hand and dragging her towards the front door. "I completely forgot! I was coming to get you for dinner! My aunt is gonna be so angry!"

"Well, let's go, then!" the glasses-clade girl replied, taking the lead until they reached the door. She quickly got her shoes on, then opened the door, never letting go of the hand that had grabbed her own.

As they approached Kimiko's house, Shino said one final thing before they reached the door. "By the way, don't worry about the blood in the hallway. I'll clean it up later."

Needless to say, Kimiko choked.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**So, how was that? I tried to leave quite a bit to the imagination for the ecchi, since I don't want to turn this into an M-rated fic. Still, Kimiko is turning into quite the unintentional perv, what with the nosebleeds and all.**

**Also, how do you like Kimiko's new nickname for Shino? I think it's kinda cute, but you guys/girls are the fans/readers, not me.**

**Well, I'd like to ask for reviews, but I figure I'll get at least one or two eventually, so I'd like to ask those of you who do decide to comment one thing: tell me **_**why**_** you like it or don't. I love to hear that people like this story, but an explanation as to why will help me know what to keep and what to scrap in terms of style. That's the most helpful review I can get— one that explains what I'm doing right and wrong, and then possibly gives suggestions on what needs fixing/changing.**

**Next chapter will be about the dinner, with the classic, "potential love interest meets the main character's family and joins in on the embarrassment of the embarrassing of said character" gag running full throttle.**

**I do believe that accounts for everything! I'll just leave you with a disclaimer for now, and hopefully I'll get the next chapters of my three main fics (GGO: SW, SAO: R:D, and this one) out soon!**

**I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series, any of its adaptations, or anything I use from them!**

**See you next chapter!**


	5. Chapter title too long for this space

Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill

Chapter Five: Of Presumptuous Aunts and Frightening Conclusions

* * *

**Author's Note**

**What. The hell. IS WRONG WITH ME?! This chapter was only a thousand words without the flashback!**

**Ahem. This chapter will set the plot up for something that I know you won't like. At all. Fair warning, I'm changing the secondary genre from 'friendship' to 'drama'. That should say something about this chapter's content.**

**I'm honestly expecting to lose a few followers for the events of this chapter. I won't spoil the reason why, but I just know that I'm going to have some very unhappy readers/reviewers.**

**Well, that's about it for now. See you at the bottom!**

* * *

_It was then that Shino remembered something important. "By the way, why exactly did you come here again?"_

_Kimiko's eyes widened in remembrance of the reason why she had come over in the first place. "Oh, man!" she shouted, grabbing her friend's hand and dragging her towards the front door. "I completely forgot! I was coming to get you for dinner! My aunt is gonna be so angry!"_

_"Well, let's go, then!" the glasses-clad girl replied, taking the lead until they reached the door. She quickly got her shoes on, then opened the door, never letting go of the hand that had grabbed her own._

_As they approached Kimiko's house, Shino said one final thing before they reached the door. "By the way, don't worry about the blood in the hallway. I'll clean it up later."_

_Needless to say, Kimiko choked._

* * *

After recovering from her fit of coughing and choking, Kimiko let herself be led to the door once more by her best friend. The second they arrived, the door opened, revealing a very amused-looking Suguha.

"What's with the look?" Kimiko queried, eyeing her younger cousin warily.

"Oh, nothing," she sang, smirking when she saw Shino's hand interlocked with that of her older cousin. "Just that both my mom and I distinctly heard someone yell, 'perv' from next door. I wonder… just who could that be?"

Blushing furiously, the pair retracted their hands, Shino staying silent while Kimiko struggled for words. Finally, the raven-haired city girl realized something that scared her silly.

"Wait, she heard it, too?" Kimiko queried, face pale as she began to imagine the many different methods of torture that would be used on her when her friend left. "How mad is she?"

"Oddly enough, she didn't seem mad," Suguha answered, looking quite puzzled. "She just smiled and shook her head, then got back to making dinner. Speaking of which…"

After a very satisfying meal filled with playful banter and much laughing at Kimiko's expense, everyone sat at the dinner table in a comfortable silence.

Or, at least, comfortable for everyone but Shino. She got the feeling that her friend's aunt and cousin were sizing her up, as if they were trying to determine whether she would be a good friend. It didn't help that they shot her curious or scrutinizing gazes every once in a while. Kimiko didn't seem to notice, however.

Finally, the raven-haired city girl's aunt spoke. Unfortunately, however, it made her even more uncomfortable than the silence, and much more shocked.

"So, you're the new girlfriend, eh?" she asked without a hint of humor in her voice.

Shino, who had been drinking the last of her tea, instantly spit it out as her eyes seemed to nearly bulge out of her eye sockets.

"Auntie!" Kimiko shouted back, completely mortified. "She's just a friend!"

Looking only slightly apologetic, said, "Sorry, I guess I shouldn't have assumed. It's just that, with the way you talked about her…"

Shino, who had just recovered from a fit of coughing, spoke with shock in her voice. "W-what?!"

"Sorry, Shinocchi," Kimiko said, twirling one of her long, raven locks with her right hand. "My aunt is a bit blunt—"

Shino, still unable to think clearly after what had been said, Shino cut her friend off, her voice hoarse. "Kimiko, you're… you're a… you're into…"

Looking quite fearful, Kimiko nodded her head at her friend's implications. Almost immediately after, the glasses-clad girl stood up abruptly, making all eyes turn to her; Kimiko's held fear, Suguha's held a bit of anger, and her mother's held shock.

"I-I should go…"

With that, Shino nearly ran out of the house, leaving a devastated Kimiko behind.

* * *

The rest of the weekend passed painfully slow for Shino. She couldn't show her face to Kimiko after what she had done; she was positive that she hurt the girl deeply. At the same time, she felt horrible for _not_ showing her face, as she knew that the city girl was probably hurting, and she was most likely the only one who could fix it.

_But… she's a…_

She couldn't even finish that thought without feeling scared. She had no idea why, but the thought of Kimiko being a… it scared her somehow.

She had left for school late in hopes of not having to see the raven-haired city girl, even though she knew she would have to sit next to her once she arrived. She just didn't get why she was so scared. When Kimiko had told her of her… preferences, the glasses-clad girl somehow felt an overwhelming fear, an incredible need to escape the whole situation.

Even when she stood before the classroom door, she found it incredibly hard to enter. The only reason she eventually _did_ go in was because of the threat of being late. Despite this, she went in with closed eyes, as if it would somehow protect her. When she bumped into the teacher's desk, she was forced to open her eyes. When she fearfully looked over to the desk next to hers, she found…

Nothing.

Kimiko hadn't even come to school.

Later that day, she learned that the raven-haired city girl had been called in sick by her aunt. This only made the bespectacled girl feel worse; was she really so hurt that her aunt didn't want her to go to school?

She almost couldn't bear the thought that she was the cause, and yet…

* * *

The next two days passed by in a similar manner, with Kimiko being called in sick, and Shino feeling worse and worse each day. Finally, on Thursday, the city girl showed up for class. Everyone else rushed over to her, asking if she was okay. She answered them by saying that she was fine, but when she met the glasses-clad girl's eyes, her cheery smile faltered for a second as Shino averted her gaze.

Unbeknownst to the two of them, they were both thinking the exact same thing.

_What's wrong with me?_

When the bel rang and Kimiko was forced to go to her seat, she made sure not to look at the person she was she that she had alienated. The teacher came in a moment later, announcing something that caught the attention of the whole class.

"Today, we have another first year from Tokyo coming to join our class!"

Kimiko's head, which had been staring at her desk, perked up slightly at this news. After everyone went through the standard morning practices, the teacher beckoned the person just outside the classroom to come in.

The girl who walked in almost matched Kimiko in terms of beauty. Her chestnut-colored hair and matching eyes shone brilliantly, and the uniform, which she had apparently modified slightly, fit her curves quite nicely.

The moment she got to the middle-front of the class, she turned to face the students. "My name is Yuuki Asuna. Pleased to meet you—"

She cut her own introduction short when her eyes fell upon Kimiko. "Kimicchi?" she nearly shouted, her eyes wide with shock.

Looking back at the new student with equal surprise, Kimiko whispered, "Asu-nyan?"

* * *

**Author's Note**

**So, just how many followers do you think I'll lose in the next week? I'm gonna guess… at least three to five. I cranked up the drama in a story that I originally wanted to have none of it, and also that reviewers expected none of it.**

**Well, whatever. Sorry to those of you who will drop this story after this. I hate to see you go, but that doesn't mean that I'll make the story all rainbows and butterflies again. I'm beginning to like the darker and more emotional stuff that I've been writing recently.**

**And yeah, I know that a mere one-thousand words isn't enough to really capture the drama and angst that they're feeling, but I couldn't exactly find a good way to stretch it out. Sorry.**

**It has been brought to my attention that I don't need to write disclaimers for stories on FFnet. And so, I don't plan on doing that anymore. I'll just bid you adieu, then get back to writing on Re:Designed, which I recently got a burst of inspiration for.**


	6. Of Exes and Heartache

Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill

Chapter Six: Of Exes and Heartache

* * *

**Author's Note**

**What's up with me today? My inspiration for this story is through the roof! It's like, a month without a single paragraph of chapter five published, and then two releases in the same damn day? I need to take some of my inspired blood and give it to myself when I'm low! This is freakin' **_**insane**_**!**

**Ahem. So yeah, though this chapter was a bit short as well, it's not as bad as the last one. (Off on a tangent: did anyone notice how many grammar mistakes I made last chapter? Absolutely terrible!) This one is also a mite more dramatic than the last. I'm honestly not sure how well I captured the emotions of the moment, so I'd like to ask you to tell me how I did.**

**Anyway, I'll let you read now.**

* * *

_When the bell rang and Kimiko was forced to go to her seat, she made sure not to look at the person she knew that she had alienated. The teacher came in a moment later, announcing something that caught the attention of the whole class._

_"Today, we have another first year from Tokyo coming to join our class!"_

_Kimiko's head, which had been staring at her desk, perked up slightly at this news. After everyone went through the standard morning practices, the teacher beckoned the person just outside the classroom to come in._

_The girl who walked in almost matched Kimiko in terms of beauty. Her chestnut-colored hair and matching eyes shone brilliantly, and the uniform, which she had apparently modified slightly, fit her curves quite nicely._

_The moment she got to the middle-front of the class, she turned to face the students. "My name is Yuuki Asuna. Pleased to meet you—"_

_She cut her own introduction short when her eyes fell upon Kimiko. "Kimicchi?" she nearly shouted, her eyes wide with shock._

_Looking back at the new student with equal surprise, Kimiko whispered, "Asu-nyan?"_

* * *

By the time lunch rolled around, Shino could barely stand it. The new transfer student was given the seat on the other side of Kimiko's, and they had been chatting it up nonstop whenever the teacher wasn't looking. The worst part, though the glasses-clad girl couldn't even fathom why it was so bad…

Kimiko was smiling. She looked happier than she ever did around Shino, and for reasons unknown to her, it made her feel… inept. Like she wasn't fit to be Kimiko's friend. She didn't know how to feel about that, if she were to be frank.

On the one hand, if she were to try to re-befriend the raven-haired city girl, she would have no idea how to act around her. After the still-scary conclusion she had come to about Kimiko's preferences, she came to realize that there were also several signs that the girl had probably been at least slightly into her. She had no idea how to take that.

On the other, if she were to avoid Kimiko, she might hurt her even more. Despite being afraid, Shino still cared for the city girl. Not in _that_ way, or course, but it still hurt her to see Kimiko in pain. But…

_Looking at those two now, it looks like she was never in pain about this to begin with._

That's what hurt the most.

Unable to deal with her own thoughts any longer, she stood up from her desk abruptly, planning to exit the classroom. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kimiko's head turn to her. She saw a fraction of the hurt and fear she had undoubtedly inflicted on the poor girl resurface in her eyes. As terrible as she knew it to be, she felt the smallest bit of happiness from that look.

_I'm the worst._

She knew it was absolutely horrible to think like that, to take pleasure in someone else's pain, but she couldn't help herself. She was happy, but not because her once-friend was suffering; she was happy about what it meant.

_If she still feels hurt, then it means… that she still cares about me, even if only a little bit._

But why? Why did she want to be important to the girl after what happened, after what she learned? She couldn't answer this question, and it tore her apart on the inside.

She couldn't take it anymore. She had to get out of the classroom. She didn't even bring her lunch with her as she nearly sprinted out of the room, feeling tears pricking at her eyes.

* * *

Ten minutes of wandering around the school aimlessly later, she decided she needed to get a breath of fresh air. And so, she went up to the rooftop, planning to just sit and—

_Huh?_

As she neared the top of the stairs, she started to hear the sound of two people conversing from outside.

_No one usually goes up here… I wonder who's there?_

She opened the door slowly, sticking her head out to look for whoever else was on the roof. Unfortunately, the two occupants had both heard the sound of the door opening, and they were both looking directly at Shino. Who were they?

Both Kimiko and the new transfer student.

She almost immediately moved to leave, but stopped when she heard Kimiko call out to her.

"Shinocchi!" she shouted, a hint of desperation and pain mixed into her voice. For some reason, Shino found herself halting, even though she felt like bolting.

"Shinocchi, I'm sorry," the raven-haired girl apologized, shocking the bespectacled girl stiff. "I'm sorry for scaring you. I won't expect you to forgive me, but please, just listen to what I have to say before you leave."

_She's… apologizing to me? But why? _I'm_ the one who hurt _her_…_

Shino decided that it was the least she could do to listen to her once-friend's words. She opened the door all of the way, walking through it and sitting a meter or so away from the two city girls.

"You've probably figured this out already, but I like you," Kimiko said mildly, looking to her lap. "I like you like a friend shouldn't. But… I would never do anything that you don't want. I would never force myself on you."

Upon hearing this, bad memories rose up in Shino for the faintest of moments. Kimiko caught the look on the bespectacled girl's face, and it only served to hurt her further.

"I'm not gonna ask you to be my friend anymore," she said, twirling around a lock of her raven hair in her right hand as she spoke in a broken tone. "I know I probably seem horrible and disgusting to you, so I won't ask you to interact with me, either. But…"

With each proclamation Kimiko made, Shino felt another stab of pain in her heart. The girl before her was hurting so much, and she kept running away, even though she knew that it only made things worse.

"Just… please don't hate me," the hair-twirling girl implored, more tears coming to her eyes with each word she spoke. "It already hurts just to see you so scared of me, but if you started to hate me, too, then…"

The broken girl couldn't continue any further. The tears and sobs escaping her made sure of that. The new transfer student almost immediately moved to her side, embracing her and rubbing soothing circles on her back.

_What the hell is wrong with me?!_ Shino inwardly shouted, tears of her own beginning to stream down her face.

"Kimiko… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" the bespectacled girl found herself crying out as tears dropped onto her glasses. "I'm so terrible… I'm so scared, even though you haven't done anything… I hurt you so much, then let you think it was your fault… I'm the worst…"

She slowly stood up, beginning to walk back to the door. "I don't deserve to be your friend."

Just as the glasses-clad noirette reached the door, she felt a hand take her wrist into a death grip. When she turned around, she found the new transfer student, grabbing her wrist so tightly that it almost hurt. But even so, the glare she gave Shino was much worse.

"You're right in my books," she said, her voice flat and even. "But she still likes you. You may not deserve to be her friend, but answer me this: do you_ want_ to be her friend?"

It took a little over ten seconds for Shino to register everything she said, and another ten to come up with an answer.

"Y… yes…" she answered at last. "I'm still scared, but… I want to be her friend."

"Tell that to her," the girl whose grip was bound to make Shino's hand turn purple said, pointing to the still-sniffling girl not two meters away. "You can tell me all you want, but the final decision is hers to make, not mine."

When Shino began to move towards the girl she had hurt so, the grip on her hand released. Her steps were slow and hesitant, showing the unique combination fear and regret that she felt.

"Kimiko…" she whispered once she came close enough. She reached her hand out, hesitating for a moment before proceeding to rest it on the crying girl's shoulder. The touch made Kimiko look up to meet the eyes of the person she had grown to like over a few short days. She saw fear, regret, and caring, all mixed together in two dark eyes that still shone with tears.

"Kimiko, I won't lie to you," Shino started, using all of her willpower to keep eye contact. "I am scared. I'm scared of lesbians… but not of you specifically."

"W-what do you mean?" Kimiko, in turn, was using all of her willpower to keep from bursting into sobs again.

"I'll tell you one day," the bespectacled noirette said, wanting to get back to the main point. "But, as I was saying… even though I'm scared, I still want to be your friend."

That was all it took to send Kimiko into another fit of sobs. She immediately latched onto the glasses-wearing girl in front of her, making said girl go rigid with shock. When the raven-haired girl realized this, she started to pull back, preparing to apologize. Before she could, however…

Shino recovered from her initial shock, returning the embrace tentatively. She knew the girl she was holding needed it.

"You know what?" the girl who had essentially saved their friendship queried loudly, making Shino turn in her direction. "You're… different."

"Huh?" was the quizzical response she got.

"I said what I mean," the transfer student began to elaborate. "You see, there was a girl a lot like you back in Tokyo. What's going on here is eerily similar to what happened between Kimicchi and that other girl. But there's one big difference."

"And what would that be?" Shino was genuinely interested at this point.

"Even after finding out about Kimicchi's sexuality, _you_ could still see how fragile Kimiko was. The other girl couldn't," was the sad response that she received. "Let's just hope that you're different enough to not hurt her in the end.

"I've seen this girl go through more rejections than I could count," she continued, a rueful look crossing her features. "But very few of them have hurt her this deeply. If it affected her this much after only a few days of knowing you, then you must be really special."

"Thanks… I think."

After a few moments of silence, with Kimiko still held in Shino's embrace, the chestnut-haired transfer student smiled broadly. "You know, I don't think I ever formally introduced myself to you."

Walking over to the pair, she extended a hand for Shino to shake. "My name is Yuuki Asuna, and I'm Kimicchi's most recent ex!"

* * *

**Author's Note**

**So, how well would you say I did with capturing the emotions of the characters? If you plan to review, I implore you to tell me at least that.**

**Okay, I guess I don't have much of anything to say here. Oh, wait! I should probably tell you something that Sinon kind of hinted at a few times throughout this chapter. I won't completely spoil it, but I will say that she's not your typical homophobe. Her fear doesn't originate from religion or social stigma, or anything like that; instead, it's a deep-rooted thing that stems from a traumatic event in her distant past. I'll leave y'all to speculate about that for now.**

**Well, that's about it! I'll see ya next chapter!**


	7. Of Morning Talks and Bravery

Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill

Chapter Seven: Of Morning Talks and Bravery

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Well, I'm not sure if it was worth it, but I sacrificed chapter length for fast update time. Was it worth it? You guys will have to decide that.**

**Yeah, this chapter is around nine-hundred-fifty words without the flashback. Unfortunately, I found a perfect place to stop, so I couldn't even fathom a way to continue. I suppose I'll just try for a longer next chapter when I next update.**

**FYI: This chapter focuses largely on part of the long and arduous process of repairing their friendship. Thus, it may seem a little sob-story-ish. Then again, the past two or so chapters have had a bit of that already.**

**Well, I guess I should just let you read now.**

* * *

_"I've seen this girl go through more rejections than I could count," she continued, a rueful look crossing her features. "But very few of them have hurt her this deeply. If it affected her this much after only a few days of knowing you, then you must be really special."_

_"Thanks… I think."_

_After a few moments of silence, with Kimiko still held in Shino's embrace, the chestnut-haired transfer student smiled broadly. "You know, I don't think I ever formally introduced myself to you."_

_Walking over to the pair, she extended a hand for Shino to shake. "My name is Yuuki Asuna, and I'm Kimicchi's most recent ex!"_

* * *

_The Next Morning_

Shino graciously accepted the good night's sleep she received with much gratitude. She felt ten times more well-rested than she had waking up the past few days, and somehow, even though the sun hadn't come up yet, she felt the inexplicable urge to get ready early and take a walk.

After about ten minutes, she opened her front door, taking a breath of fresh, cool, crisp morning air. When she walked out the door, she looked over to Kimiko's house, wondering if the city girl was up yet.

_Well, even if she is, she probably wouldn't want to go outside._

This thought saddened the glasses-clad girl for some reason, though she couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was strange, really; she still felt a bit scared, and yet somehow, she felt herself yearning for the raven-haired girl's presence.

The second she finished her thought, she saw the door open, and Kimiko step out, essentially repeating the same motions Shino had a few seconds earlier. Their eyes met, and for a moment, the only thing either of them could see was each other.

Kimiko was the first to break eye contact, moving to go back inside. She was halted a second later by the sound of a certain bespectacled girl calling out to her.

"Wait!" she uttered, not quite sure why.

Shino saw the girl stop in her tracks, then look over to her. The bespectacled girl motioned for the raven-haired girl to come join her, making her wonder just what she wanted.

A few seconds later, they both found themselves sitting on Shino's front step. Neither one of them seemed to want to talk at all, though they both had something to say. Eventually, the glasses-clad noirette decided the silence would have to end.

"So, why are you up this early?" she queried, giving her raven-haired friend a smile.

"I couldn't sleep, so I decided to take a walk to think," Kimiko responded honestly.

"What kept you up?" Shino looked at her with concern.

"Well…" her friend seemed hesitant at first. "I guess you deserve to know. You already know that I like you, right?"

"Y-yeah," was the reply she got. The bespectacled girl figured that her friend had something to get off her chest, so she kept listening, even though she was starting to fear where the conversation was heading.

"I guess… I was thinking about how we could hold hands and things like that before you found out…" Kimiko said, her voice dangerously close to cracking as tears started to war with her eyes. "And wondering if we could ever go back to that. At this point, I'm fine with just being friends, and I don't want to do anything you don't like. But, even still, I can't help but miss—"

She stopped talking when she found an arm around her shoulder. She looked up to meet Shino's eyes, finding a caring expression inside those dark orbs. It confused her, and she had no idea what it meant.

"I'll admit, I'm still a bit scared," the bespectacled girl started, her caring smile withstanding her words. "But that fear is _nothing_ compared to the pain I feel when I see you hurting like this. I'm willing to be a little brave if it means that I don't have to see you suffer because of my cowardice."

At these words, Kimiko found herself gawking for a full ten seconds before regaining enough composure to respond. "A-are you sure? Touching me doesn't disgust you? It doesn't make you sick?"

"No!" Shino finally started to realize just how much the girl in her arms was beating herself up on the inside. "Oh, god, no! I may still be a little afraid, but I would _never_ feel sick just because you touched me."

It was all Kimiko could do to stop herself from breaking down in front of her friend and crush for the umpteenth time.

"It wasn't just lip service when I said I wanted to be your friend, you know." Shino was finding it harder and harder to put up with her friend's self-loathing attitude. "And I've just about had it with you beating on yourself all the time."

Kimiko opened her mouth to apologize, but the glasses-clad girl had anticipated that. And, as such, she cut her off.

"If you're about to apologize, then save it," Shino stopped her friend in her tracks, a stern look in her eyes. "I don't want to hear you apologize for things that aren't your fault."

At Kimiko's shocked silence, the glasses-clad girl's expression softened. "You want to know what I want to see the most right now?"

A small nod gave Shino the go-ahead to tell her. "I want… to see you smile. A real smile, not one you force to make people think you're all right.

"It may not be possible right now, so soon after I screwed everything up, but I want to be able to make you smile."

It took a few seconds for Kimiko to come up with an intelligent response. Unfortunately, the response she gave…

"You know, Shinocchi," a smug smile crept onto her face as she spoke, making the bespectacled girl gulp nervously. "Even though I know you're not like me, it sure seems like you're going out of your way to be a massive tease."

And that was all it took for Shino's face to spontaneously combust. She almost yelled an angry retort, but stopped when she heard a sound she thought she might never hear again.

Kimiko's laugh.

A surge of happiness rose in the bespectacled girl's heart at the sound. It was all right. She was all right. They were all right.

_We'll be all right._

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Well, shit. I don't know how to continue from here. I usually have some sort of outline, but at this point, it's more like this: I know what I want the next major even to be, but I don't know exactly how to fill the gap between now and then without a time-skip.**

**I just recently noticed that, even though this is in third person, I seem to be largely focusing on Shino much more than Kimiko or Asuna. I guess I'll try to make the next chapter more Kimiko-centric. I'll see what I can do about that.**

**Well, I suppose I don't need to say much more. This is the new all-time low in word count for my recent stories. Maybe I'll try to make the next chapter over 3k words. That would be one hell of a chapter in comparison to all the other chapters in this story. I think I'll try that.**

**See ya next chapter!**


	8. Of Civil Wars and Final Warnings

Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill

Chapter Eight: Of Civil Wars and Final Warnings

* * *

**Author's Note**

**By the end of this chapter, you will all hate me, the Asuna of this story, or both. That is all I have to say.**

**Read on, and discover the startling fact that Kimiko and Shino aren't the only ones hurting here.**

* * *

_A small nod gave Shino the go-ahead to tell her. "I want… to see you smile. A real smile, not one you force to make people think you're all right._

_"It may not be possible right now, so soon after I screwed everything up, but I want to be able to make you smile."_

_It took a few seconds for Kimiko to come up with an intelligent response. Unfortunately, the response she gave…_

_"You know, Shinocchi," a smug smile crept onto her face as she spoke, making the bespectacled girl gulp nervously. "Even though I know you're not like me, it sure seems like you're going out of your way to be a massive tease."_

_And that was all it took for Shino's face to spontaneously combust. She almost yelled an angry retort, but stopped when she heard a sound she thought she might never hear again._

_Kimiko's_ _laugh. _

_A surge of happiness rose in the bespectacled girl's heart at the sound. It was all right. She was all right. They were all right._

We'll be all right.

* * *

It had been about three weeks since Asuna transferred to their school and essentially saved Kimiko's and Shino's friendship. Though not without a bump here and there, the pair's relationship had slowly repaired itself, and even grown stronger than it was before. Shino continued to unintentionally act like a tease to Kimiko.

But, of course, that's where it stopped.

And slowly, bit by bit, it was tearing Kimiko apart.

She was finding it harder and harder to be a regular friend to Shino when the bespectacled girl kept unintentionally tempting her. These days, Kimiko had to remind herself multiple times each day that they were mere friends, and that Shino wanted nothing more.

There were several times when she almost lost it. Almost gave into her desires. Sometimes, she came so close to going over the edge, past the point of no return, only to mentally slap herself at the last second and stop.

Miraculously, Shino somehow couldn't see the inner turmoil going on just under the surface. If she found out about her best friend's waning resolve, she would surely feel terrified, just like she did when she first found out about Kimiko's preferences.

And so, Kimiko continued to war with herself daily, believing that no one noticed her mind's unending civil war.

But someone did.

And it was driving her insane.

* * *

It was a day like any other. The three friends were sitting on the roof, eating lunch together as always. A particular topic came to Shino's mind in the middle of their conversation. She had been meaning to ask about it for a long time, but never remembered to.

"By the way," she started, looking at both of them before continuing. "Where did the nickname 'Asu-nyan' come from?"

Asuna fell completely silent, the color draining from her face as Kimiko began explaining without hesitation.

"Well, when we were little, Asu-nyan decided to dye her hair black, telling everyone that it was because she wanted to match colors with her cat," she said, eyes going soft as she got lost in the nostalgia. "The next day, when I saw her with black hair for the first time, I was speechless. She looked really pretty, and she had the cat in her arms when she met me at her door.

"Then, when I finally started to call her name, but the cat meowed in the middle of it. The next day, when she came to school, nobody recognized her but me. I decided to tease her a little, so I called her Asu-nyan in front of the whole class. When everyone caught on, it sort of became the whole class's nickname for her."

At the end of the story, Shino found herself almost doubled over with laughter, while Asuna tried her best not to faint from embarrassment.

When Shino finally recovered from the wheezing that followed her howls of laughter, she decided to ask another question that had been on her mind for a while.

"By the way… sorry if this is a bit personal," the bespectacled girl started, already questioning whether she should go through with asking. When she found both of her friends looking at her intently, she realized there was no turning back.

"You guys were… together, right?" she couldn't just get right to the point for some reason. "And Asuna, you said you were her 'most recent' ex. So… I was just wondering when you broke up."

The looks on her friends' faces were unreadable, making Shino feel bad for asking. "I-if you don't want to tell, I won't force you."

"No, it's not that," Asuna quickly replied, the life returning to her face as she spoke. "I just didn't expect that kind of question to come from you. I mean, you're afraid of that kind of thing, right?"

Upon receiving no response, Asuna looked deep in her friend's eyes, which had turned their hesitant gaze towards the ground, to try to see what was going through her head.

_Interesting…_ was the mental conclusion she reached. A devious smirk came across her face for a moment as she decided to act on her findings. As quickly as it came, it vanished, making way for a regular smile.

"To answer your question, Shino," Asuna began, slinging an arm around Kimiko to add effect to her coming words. "We never really broke up. We just kinda promised to keep in touch when she left, and then I ended up moving to this place without knowing she was here. To be perfectly honest, when I first saw her here three weeks ago, I figured we would pick up where we left off."

"Why didn't you?" Shino queried, somehow not noticing the pained look in Kimiko's eyes at her words.

Asuna saw it. Even if only for a moment, she saw it. There was a look in Shino's eyes before she uttered those words, and even though it lasted no more than a second, Asuna caught it.

Fear.

But not the same fear that the three of them knew she already had. No, this was completely different. This was a fear that the chestnut-haired girl had seen in Kimiko quite often in the past three weeks, always when Shino interacted with a male student.

It was a fear of abandonment.

For now, Asuna decided, she had messed with the bespectacled girl enough. Though all of what she had just said was true, she only said it to get the information she desired. As it turned out, that information was far easier to extract from the other girl than she initially thought.

Releasing Kimiko from her hold, the chestnut-haired girl smiled innocently. "Isn't it obvious, though?"

"Call me stupid," Shino said, her implied words forcing Asuna to say it aloud. Exactly what she was hoping for.

"You know, I really would, but that wouldn't help any," Asuna smugly commented, her innocent smile replaced with the grin of the Cheshire Cat. "It really does seem obvious to me, though.

"The reason I didn't pursue her again is because someone else had already stolen her heart."

It took a few seconds for Shino to catch on. When she did, her body betrayed her once more, and a very different reaction came from her. Usually, when the subject of Kimiko still liking her came up, the glasses-clad girl's face would pale a bit, and she would laugh nervously before changing the subject. This reaction was entirely different, almost the exact opposite.

She blushed.

And not just a faint blush, either. Her face almost seemed as if it had been set aflame. She was sure Kimiko saw it too, and the poor girl was probably trying her damnedest to restrain herself right about then.

Asuna refrained from teasing her for the moment, instead choosing to look over at Kimiko to see her reaction to Shino's involuntary fireworks display. Shino probably didn't see it, but there was indeed an internal war going on just under the surface of those stormy-gray irises.

_I'm going to have a talk with Shino soon, because this is getting painful for me to watch,_ Asuna decided.

As if on cue, the bell signifying the end of lunch period sounded off, greatly startling both Kimiko and Shino.

The glasses-clad girl was the first to move, getting up and walking towards the door. However, before she could take more than two steps, Asuna got up and grabbed her wrist, similar to the scene three weeks prior.

"Shino, I need to talk to you." Despite the calmness of the words and the smile Asuna wore, her eyes commanded Shino to stay. A second later, the look vanished as the chestnut-haired girl turned her gaze to a very confused Kimiko. "You can go ahead, Kimicchi, this won't take long."

"Okay."

And just like that, Asuna had her moment to talk alone with Shino.

Once she could no longer hear her ex's footsteps going down the stairs, the chestnut-haired girl cast a menacing glare onto her glasses-wearing friend. This look paralyzed the poor girl, who wanted nothing more than to run the hell away.

"I'll cut straight to the point," Asuna said, any trace of her usual cheery self completely gone. "You need to stop sending Kimicchi mixed signals."

"W-what do you mean?" Shino tried her best to sound like she was clueless.

"I'm not going to mess around here. I know you're playing dumb right now; you're much easier to read than you think."

Shino stayed completely silent. This was an Asuna she had never seen before, not even in their first meeting. She was much, much more frightening.

"We both know that you don't like her. Or, at least, not in that way," Asuna continued, loosening her grip after realizing that Shino wouldn't run away. "But you're constantly doing things that are making both me and Kimiko question that."

When faced with more silence, Asuna continued talking in a no-nonsense tone. "You may not see it, but it's driving her crazy."

This time, Shino really didn't know what Asuna was talking about. "W-what?"

The menacing girl sighed, a bit of her scary aura replaced with sympathy. But definitely not sympathy for the girl standing before her.

"I'm sure you've thought about how Kimiko likes you quite often," Asuna correctly assumed. "But that was probably all about how it affected _you_. Answer me this.

"Have you ever once thought about how it feels on _her_ end? How liking you— no, I'm pretty sure she _loves_ you at this point— have you, even for a second, thought about how being in love with you affected _her_?"

The look in the glasses-clad girl's wide eyes told Asuna exactly what she already knew— that Shino really _hadn't_ ever thought of those things.

"I'm not sure you even know what love _is_," Asuna spat out. She knew that she was being harsh. She knew she was being mean. But, at the same time, she knew that anything short of this wouldn't get Shino to actually understand just what Kimiko was going through.

"Love is never pure. Love isn't just about feelings. Love comes hand in hand with _desire_," the more she spoke, the more things she found needed to be said. "I'm not doubting Kimicchi's self-control. She made a promise to you that she would never force herself on you, and I believe she can and will keep it.

"But, the thing is, I don't think you know just how hard she tries each day just to make sure you don't realize that. That she loves _all_ of you. That, even if she never does anything to you, she still wants to, deep inside."

With each thing Asuna said, she could see another stab of guilt pierce straight through Shino's heart. She felt bad for taking it this far, but she also knew that she had to. She couldn't watch her ex suffer anymore.

"I can see the guilt in your eyes right now," the chestnut-haired girl acknowledged. "Now, take all of that, multiply it by ten, and add the pain of knowing that what you want the most is right in front of you, but you can never have it.

"_That_ is what Kimiko goes through every single goddamn day just to make sure you don't get scared and run away again."

The moment Asuna let go of Shino's wrist, the bespectacled girl fell to her knees, unable to respond. Now that she finally understood what was going on within the mind and heart of her best friend, she felt the guilt overwhelm her. Any fear she normally would have felt was completely crushed from the firestorm of other emotions raging in her mind.

"I'm not going to ask you to love her back," Kimiko's childhood friend and ex-lover whispered, beginning to walk to the door. "But please… just think about what she's going through each day. Kimicchi's a fragile girl. She's barely keeping herself under control now. And, knowing her, she would rather disappear from your life entirely than break the promise she made to you.

"I just hope you do something about this before she disappears… because I don't want to lose her, either."

With those words as her farewell, Asuna left Shino alone on the roof. It took everything she had to keep going after she heard the sound of sobbing coming from behind her.

_All I can do now… is hope that I made the right choice._

* * *

**Author's Note**

**So, do you hate me, this story's Asuna, or both?**

**This idea just hit me out of nowhere, and it seemed like the perfect way to give you more insight on every main character at once. Sorry about the incredibly-tipped balance of dialogue and description, by the way. I think it helped convey the point, though.**

**Well, I didn't quite reach the three-thousand word mark, did I? It sucks, but I think the content at least somewhat makes up for that. And besides, this may be the longest chapter this story has ever had.**

**Will I promise that the next chapter will be a bit happier? No. **_**Can**_** I promise a happier next chapter? No. can I tell you **_**anything at all**_** about the next chapter? Honestly, no. I have no plan whatsoever for the next chapter. Even so, that's exactly what I said when I published last chapter, which was earlier today.**

**So, I'm not sure if it'll be tomorrow or next week that I update. The streak will have to break eventually, but the question is: when?**

**Okay, I've taken enough of your time. If you've put up with my ramblings up to this point, then thank you, and I'm sorry.**

**See you all next chapter!**


	9. Of Absences and New Beginnings

Shoot to Thrill, Swing to Kill

Chapter Nine: Of Absences and New Beginnings

* * *

**Author's Note**

**This is that one chapter that, if I were reading it instead of writing it, I would be able to stop reading the story with a smile on my face. It's that one chapter that feels like the conclusion, even though it really isn't.**

**I guess I should let you read and see what I mean.**

* * *

_"I can see the guilt in your eyes right now," the chestnut-haired girl acknowledged. "Now, take all of that, multiply it by ten, and add the pain of knowing that what you want the most is right in front of you, but you can never have it._

_"_That_ is what Kimiko goes through every single goddamn day just to make sure you don't get scared and run away again."_

_The moment Asuna let go of Shino's wrist, the bespectacled girl fell to her knees, unable to respond. Now that she finally understood what was going on within the mind and heart of her best friend, she felt the guilt overwhelm her. Any fear she normally would have felt was completely crushed from the firestorm of other emotions raging in her mind._

_"I'm not going to ask you to love her back," Kimiko's childhood friend and ex-lover whispered, beginning to walk to the door. "But please… just think about what she's going through each day. Kimicchi's a fragile girl. She's barely keeping herself under control now. And, knowing her, she would rather disappear from your life entirely than break the promise she made to you._

_"I just hope you do something about this before she disappears… because I don't want to lose her, either."_

_With those words as her farewell, Asuna left Shino alone on the roof. It took everything she had to keep going after she heard the sound of sobbing coming from behind her._

All I can do now… is hope that I made the right choice.

* * *

Shino found that she was quite adept at mimicking the voice of a sick person.

For the past three days in a row, she had faked being sick so she wouldn't have to face her friends.

_But… can I even call them that anymore? Kimiko… loves me… and Asuna probably hates me for running away again._

The thought of them resenting her for running away again… it was almost too much to bear. Even if Kimiko didn't hate her for it, the fact that she kept running away might make the raven-haired girl give up on her and move on. Find someone else to love.

_No… I don't want that…_

For what seemed like the tenth time that day, hot tears pricked at her eyes. She felt absolutely terrible. Before Asuna verbally told her how much Kimiko was suffering, the bespectacled girl had been leading herself on, thinking that things would be okay the way they were. And to her, they probably would have. But… she never once thought of what the raven-haired girl was going through just to make her feel safe.

And on top of that, Shino had thought that she could just keep Kimiko to herself. She didn't think about the possibility that her friend might give up on her, might move on and find someone else who would love her back.

She felt absolutely horrible for thinking that way. Whenever she thought about Kimiko moving on, she felt… empty inside. Like the life had been drained from her body. The worst part was that at this point, she was sure that she herself reciprocated at least some of the feelings that the raven-haired city girl had for her. But…

_I'm so scared… I'm scared of things changing between us. What's wrong with me? Why can't I just say something? Why can't I tell her the truth?_

She faintly registered the sound of someone knocking on her front door. It was Friday, so it must have been someone bringing the assignments she missed in class.

_I might as well go get them…_

She got up out of bed, wiping the tears from her eyes as she exited her room. She took slow and deliberate steps towards the front door, hoping that whoever brought the papers would get tired of waiting and leave them on the front step.

When she reached the doorway and opened the door, her hopes were shattered. On top of that, a whole new set of worries wormed their way into her fragile mind.

There stood Kimiko, trying to force a smile and pretend that she was all right.

_But she's not… I can tell._

It took a full ten seconds before Kimiko decided to break the silence. "Um… can I come in for a bit? I need to talk about something."

Without a word, Shino stepped aside, allowing her friend entrance into her house.

* * *

Several minutes went by with them sitting in silence on the one couch the bespectacled girl owned. For some reason, Kimiko made sure to keep a large distance between them. Finally, after almost ten minutes, Kimiko began to speak.

"I just wanted to tell you that you don't have to worry," she said, turning her gaze towards her love. "I've completely given up on you."

Time seemed to freeze in that moment as a thousand needles of shock and agony pierced through Shino's heart. The moment she had been dreading had finally come. She could feel tears warring with her eyes as the gravity of what her friend said hit her like a ton of bricks.

Before the raven-haired girl could continue, she found herself locked in a tight embrace as Shino cried into her shirt.

"Wha—"

Before Kimiko could ask what was going on, Shino finally started to sob out the truth.

"Please… don't give up on me! Don't leave me… without you, I… I…"

"Hey, don't worry," was the clueless response the crying girl got. "I'm not leaving you. I've just given up on—"

"No!" Shino nearly shouted into her friend's shirt. "I don't want that! I want… I want… to try!"

"T-try what…?" Kimiko still couldn't understand.

"I… I want to try… being your lover!"

It took a full ten seconds of listening to her friend and love cry for Kimiko to come up with an intelligent response. "Please… don't say something you don't mean."

In a flash, Shino pulled away, an expression of anger and desperation marring her features. "But I _do_ mean it!"

"I understand that you're scared of me leaving, but please…" Kimiko couldn't even comprehend the fact that the crying girl might be telling the truth. "Don't say something like that in the heat of the moment. I know you mean well, but all you're doing is playing with my heart."

"Idiot!"

Before Kimiko could utter a retort, she felt a pair of lips on her own. Her eyes snapped wide open as her mind went completely blank.

It was sloppy, and it tasted like tears. By no means was it the perfect kiss. In fact, it was quite obviously Shino's first. And that's exactly what made it so wonderful to Kimiko.

When they pulled apart, the crying noirette immediately buried her face into the neck of the shocked girl before her.

"I… I don't understand…" was the first thing Kimiko said after her mind resumed functioning. "Aren't you afraid of…?"

"Yes— I mean, no— I mean, I…" Shino couldn't find a way to describe what she felt. She forced herself to take a deep breath before sitting up straight and looking Kimiko dead in the eyes. "I'm still a little scared… but in the past three days, I realized… that what I feel for you is stronger than the fear.

"I thought about the possibility of you moving on and finding someone else to love," she elaborated, voice still a mite shaky. "That thought scared me more than anything else ever had in my life.

"That's how I realized… that no matter what, I wanted to be with you, to make you happy," she was getting more and more emotional. "I know now that… I love you. I'm not sure how much, but I know that it's more than a friend ever should. So… I want to find out just how much I love you. I want to try… being your lover."

"You're… you're sure about this?" Kimiko still had a hard time believing it all.

"I gave you my first kiss," the bespectacled girl said, taking off her smudged, bent glasses in order to convey her sincerity better through her eyes. "What more proof do you want?"

Finally, a smile came to the raven-haired city girl's face. "I dunno, maybe your second?"

She had meant it as a joke, and so she was totally unprepared for Shino to comply with it. This one was much neater, and it didn't taste like tears. When the noirette pulled back, she gave a sincere smile.

"I'll give you all of them. How's that sound?"

"That sounds perfect."

And just like that, the burden on their hearts completely disappeared. They didn't know what the future had I store for them, but they knew one thing.

No matter what, they would face it together.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**This really does seem like it would be the conclusion. I assure you, though, that there will still be chapters after this one. There's a few loose ends that I have to tie up, after all.**

**After I really do complete this story, though, I'm thinking about making another story that will be full of self-contained one-shots set in this universe. What do you guys think?**

**Anyway, I'll leave you all for now. Just remember that this is **_**not**_** the end of this story!**

**I'll be seeing y'all next chapter!**


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